Recent studies of the dietary practices of elite athletes report that supplements are commonly used and that some professional athletes use a very large number of (approved) supplements.

Why would they do that?

Because they know it helps their performance!

These are professional athletes who are deadly serious about producing the best results possible so they do whatever it takes (legally) to keep IMPROVING.

When a particular supplement allows the athlete to meet his/her goal that supplement should be considered to improve sports performance.

Providing there are no negative side effects involved, athletes should feel comfortable using it and the supplement will often offer a psychological benefit in that it increases the users confidence in his/her expected performance from using the supplement.

A quality sports nutrition supplement will also help to optimize your overall health. There is often a fine line in the difference between sport nutritional supplements and quality health supplements because many sports supplements offer other health benefits in addition to the primary ‘performance benefit’.

The quest to optimize performance or just get an edge on your weekend opponent(s) is a never ending goal of athletes and sports enthusiasts of all levels. It’s no wonder peoples’ interest in finding the best sport nutritional supplements is ever increasing.

The sports nutrition supplements industry has reached more than $ 11 billion in the United States alone!

The following nutrients are popular as exercise performance enhancers – but please note that research is lacking on the efficacy and safety of some of these commonly used supplements particular in respect of athletic performance. (See the recommended ebook below for further details).

Androstenedione/androstenediol (* steroid hormone precursor)

Alanine

Bee Pollen

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)

Carnitine

Coenzyme Q10

Creatine

Ginseng

Glutamine

Glycerol

HMB (B-Hydroxy B-methylbutyrate)

Lecithin/choline

Lipoic acid

Magnesium

Pantothenic acid

Phosphatidylserine

Pyruvate

Royal jelly

Selenium

Sodium bicarbonate

Vanadium (vanadyl sulfate)

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Zinc

Source: (1)

NOTE: Professional or high performance athletes must educate themselves thoroughly BEFORE taking any supplement and check that none of its components are athletic banned substances.

Some supplements may contain ingredients, such as androstenedione and ephedrine that can produce positive tests for banned substances.

Athletes under 18 must not take steroid hormone precursors or ephedrine alkaloids (Ephedra).

The green light is for only vitamins, minerals, beverages to replenish fluids/electrolyte, and protein energy bars.

Antioxidants And Their IMPORTANCE To Athletes, Sports Minded People And Health Conscious People

Rigorous exercise puts great demands on the body which results in a dramatic rise in free radical production. A wide spectrum of antioxidants is needed daily to scavenge free radicals and limit their damage to cells and DNA.

This is where the fine line between a sport nutritional supplement and a health supplement can be seen because a professional grade, multi-nutrient health supplement can effectively act as a sport nutritional supplement but with even greater benefits. It will contain, at a minimum, a wide range of the most powerful and beneficial antioxidants and immune boosting nutrients to assist athletes.

Studies have yet to provide definitive proof that antioxidants aid human exercise performance but none-the-less athletes in particular need to keep their heightened free-radical levels under control irrespective of whether antioxidants aid their performance or not. Sport nutritional supplements or multi nutrient health supplements in addition to a fruit and vegetable rich diet are the answer!

Now, I’d like to quote a passage for you from a newsletter in the Xtend-Life newsletter archives. It's about athletes and antioxidants (quoted with permission). It sums up the situation nicely.

"An athlete has a much higher intake of oxygen due to exertion and as such is much more susceptible to damage from free radicals. Unless they take a powerful antioxidant they will age before their time and are more likely to suffer a range of other diseases in later life and at an earlier time than most people.

An obvious example of the damage that is being done to the body by excessive free radicals is marathon runners. Notice how many of them look old before their time.

I cannot over-emphasis the importance of not just an ordinary antioxidant, but the necessity of a super antioxidant....."

Click here to take a look at Total Balance a professionally manufactured, science-based, multi ingredient vitamin supplement that is currently UNCHALLENGED in the market. Whether you're an athlete, a marathon runner or just a health conscious consumer looking to beef up your overall health and longevity, the Total Balance range of supplements win my recommendation. (That's why I've used them as the mainstay of my health supplement regime since the year 2000!)

I've reviewed most of the industry's highest, 'premium' level, multi nutrient health supplements and, in case you didn't know, I used to work in the supplement industry for a supplement manufacturer. I have an insiders knowledge of what separates the best supplements from the pack and so from my work experience I know for a fact that Total Balance is UNCHALLENGED. I

The cutting edge '8th Generation' versions of Total Balance were revealed in 2014 and have set, without any doubt in my mind, a completely new benchmark standard in the vitamin/health supplement market not only for their efficacy but also for value for money - that most critical of factors when it comes to outlaying our hard earned dollars.

These formulas are a MASTERPIECE of NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY with their near 100 synergised ingredients.

To achieve it's hefty anti aging goals the Total Balance formulas (both the Standard and 'Premium versions') are based on a (very) broad spectrum of ALL key nutrient categories:

Vitamins

Minerals

Trace Elements

Enzymes

Antioxidants

Amino Acids

Anti-Glycation Agents

Neuronutrients

Flavanoids

Carotenoids

Methylation Agents

Adaptogens

Calorie Restriction Mimetics

Herbal Extracts

Co-factors

If you like to read up on how Total Balance can do its magic just head on over to the Total Balance overview pages at the Xtend-life website.

I also invite you take a look at my health supplement comparisons and reviews. You can see how Total Balance sets the gold standard against a sampling of the markets most well known, premium grade nutritional vitamin supplements.

On my comparisons page you'll also find my in-depth review of Total Balance (it's a loooong one) or if you'd like to jump to that right now, use this link Brett's review of TB